Westside/Samhungsa Virginian Triplex

It is not an Erie Triplex. The Erie has a whole different locomotive, wheel arrangement, boiler size, etc. Thery are not the same! This is an Virginian version and Westside made about 110 according to the brass guide. I have seen them go for $1100 to $1300, not bad for a $750 loco. nw2124

nw2124,

Sorry - my error! You are correct in saying its a Virginian version triplex I was thinking of and not an Erie version triplex. The only thing I got correct is that both are triplexes but each has a different wheel arrangement on the trailing tender truck - 4 on the Virginian verses 2 on the Erie. And I didn't know the boiler was a different size on each of them.

Anyway, both are fascinating coal drag steam locomotives for a much earlier era.

Keep your eye on this one for a few days and you'll see the current price on one venue.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Westsi...&hash=item3f11259795

He dropped his starting price on the Virginian Triplex to $2995.00 - what a bargain!

My link above WAS to a no-reserve auction for the Triplex. Bidding was just below $800 the last time I looked. I see now that he ended the auction early because of "item no longer available" then listed the item again (new listing 20 minutes after he ended the auction early) with the same set of photos and a starting bid of $2995. The guy's a sleazeball.

I reported both listings to eBay for all the good that will do.

Bob,

I think your observations are basically correct.

Just my opinion but I suspect our 'ebay' seller might have gotten a bit nervous by the low bidding and decided to pull it and start over again at a slightly lower starting bid - $2995 verses $3500. Unfortunately for this and many other sellers on 'ebay' these days unreasonable financial expectations rule the auction market.

He obviously thinks that someone will eventually come along and bid a huge amount of money for what they and he think is a 'rare' engine that in reality isn't worth more than $1300 - tops. He's not necessarily a 'sleazeball' but he certainly is a greedy ***. As for 'ebay' they won't do anything to this seller for one simple overriding reason, the higher the eventual selling price the higher their commission on the sale, so I wouldn't expect 'ebay' to do anything about his pulling and then relisting the item.

Anyway its interesting to see something like this happen.

I think he should be permitted to state any price he wants, and to pull the thing off at the last minute if eBay allows it - which they apparently do.

I also think that a willing purchaser ought to be able to pay three times what an item is actually worth without enduring too many kids at recess calling him stupid.

Further, I think it is great fun to discuss this silliness on a forum. Hooray for free markets, silliness, and open discussions.

Opinion, of course.

I had contacted the seller when he listed the Triplex at $3500 and asked how he arrived at that price. This is his response after I asked him if he would relist it at a more reasonable price.

Hi,
You don't see this model come by too offen and I am not in any hurry to sell them. If someone willing to pay for it, I sell it. Otherwise, It will continue to be part of my collection. It's so awesome that I was a little reluctant to list it Thanks,
- gr8flash


I quest he thinks he has the only 1 of the 110 Virginian Triplexes left. nw2124

Bob2: No one is calling the guy stupid, but Greedy is an obvious given. Greed is the downfall of "Free Enterprise". Haven't you ever heard of "Corporate Greed." In all religions - Greed is a sin. nw2124

All I can say is his price certainly is 'awesome'!

NW - re-read my post. The word "stupid" appears, but nowhere near the seller. And in a free market, asking price is not greed, it is simply the asking price, and need not be accepted.

I am as left wing as ordinary folk come, but the free market, if truly free, has some real advantages. I would sure restrict some of the corporate greed that I see, but I would attempt to never throw darts at willing sellers and willing purchasers of small lots of hobby stuff. A locomotive model is not an essential, and need not be regulated by morality or anything else. Let's just be entertained by this stuff, and not call anybody names. Still opinion, of course.

The only greed that scares me is DC greed. They are the ultimate non competitive greed squad.

Look at the pricing structure of 3r/2r 0 gauge importers. Look at the levels of market success and the pricing levels of L, A & MTH. All brand loyality aside, Compare the selling prices for similar equipment. With free market pricing we get great stuff at the best price. Just think how rough it would be with two less players.

Free tidbit: This engine is no Jerry Wright model, but in 1955 I seem to remember from MR his price for a 0 scale Triplex was $995. Two or three months pay for the average Joe back then. tt

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Tee:
The only greed that scares me is DC greed. They are the ultimate non competitive greed squad.

Amen to that!

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Tee:
Free tidbit: This engine is no Jerry Wright model, but in 1955 I seem to remember from MR his price for a 0 scale Triplex was $995. Two or three months pay for the average Joe back then. tt

A bit before my wage earning time, but judging by what I earned when I got my first real job, it was quite a hunk of change! Can't say that I remember seeing the name, but for that money the product should have been fairly spectacular. How good was the thing? I'd be interested in hearing more about old Jerry.

Simon

quote:

Originally posted by Simon Winter:

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Tee:
The only greed that scares me is DC greed. They are the ultimate non competitive greed squad.

Amen to that!

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Tee:
Free tidbit: This engine is no Jerry Wright model, but in 1955 I seem to remember from MR his price for a 0 scale Triplex was $995. Two or three months pay for the average Joe back then. tt

A bit before my wage earning time, but judging by what I earned when I got my first real job, it was quite a hunk of change! Can't say that I remember seeing the name, but for that money the product should have been fairly spectacular. How good was the thing? I'd be interested in hearing more about old Jerry.

Simon

First, concerning DC greed, let me quote a recent bumper sticker: "Don't steal. The Government hates competition."

Second - I think the custom builder referred was a west-coaster named Jerry White. In that era, he and Tampa's Bill Lenoir were the two most prominent O-scale custom builders. Lenoir built an Erie Triplex; it was bought by DC-area modeler Bob Clarke (Ed Rappe - remember him?). Bob passed away some years back and I have no idea what became of his collection.

Most of Lenoir's models had his trademark and a serial number.

I don't know if White marked his models or not.

I don't know what kind of prices White charged, but I know that Lenoir never charged for his models what they were worth. The first Lenoir model I had was a Southern 2-10-2. At the time, I was working on the former Wabash part of the N&W, and the old Wabash had a System Fire Inspector in St. Louis named Bob Whelove, who was one heckovan O-gauge scratch modeler himself (he did a Wabash Hudson that'd make your mouth water). Whelove looked over the 2-10-2; he asked me to take the boiler off so he could see the mechanism. I took the boiler off for Bob, and he examined the mechanism at great length; finally he asked me if I minded telling him what I paid Lenoir for it. I told him, and he said "I sure wouldn't have built it for you for that".


EdKing

quote:

Originally posted by Edward King: I think the custom builder referred was a west-coaster named Jerry White. In that era, he and Tampa's Bill Lenoir were the two most prominent O-scale custom builders.

I don't know if White marked his models or not.

EdKing

Ed,

I am familiar with the name Jerry White. For some reason,I couldn't get past the "Wright"! If Jerry's output was anywhere close to the volume of Lenoir's, it is NOT nearly as well documented (at least to my knowledge). I suspect that most of those that spring for custom work are probably NOT interested in a lot of publicity.

Simon

Simon

This is evolving in to an interesting discussion. Sorry about the lack of info on the Triplex. I would steer well clear of a Westside Triplex until I had gauged the wheels and watched it run. Westside is known for flimsy models with lots of detail.

Lenoir's book is still available, and anybody interested in O Scale history needs a copy. Check eBay. My only personal experience with Lenoir locomotives was in viewing his last efforts in his shop and seeing the AC-9. I was not impressed. But some of the models now showing up on eBay indicate that I was wrong to judge Bill's output by those two models.

I had only one Gerry White locomotive here for repairs and paint. It had two major flaws - the Baldwin boiler was not modeled correctly (it was a straight tube, where the real thing was dramatically tapered along the bottom) and it was entirely too heavy. We are lucky it did not self-destruct during shipping. Gerry worked in all scales, including HO, and probably rolled out as many locomotives as did Lenoir.

Dorazio lived and worked in Norristown Pa. I went to high school with one of his relatives. (I also went to high school with the daughter of the guy who did so many MRR drawings - Geissel, I think). The best records of Dorazio's work are in an ancient copy of OSR (now OGR). His models were relatively crude, but charming.

O Scale News published a list of the O Scale models built by Jerry White, as part of an article about Jerry. Check the index of OSN avaiable at the NMRA Kalmbach memorial Library

I know-I know.. this is completely worthless useless info... but hey...

By the way guys....

That is: "Sam-HONG-sa"

As in Mr Sam and Mr Hongsa.

Today Sam runs "Sam-Tech" formally known as "Sam-Model-Tech" and prior to the BIG MTH/Lionel blow out Samhongsa Company Limited of Korea.

And here I thought I had every issue of 48/ft. Somebody reproduce that list.

I have seen only the Burlington 2-10-4 and the B&M Berkshire.